They walked cautiously, the silence around them terrifying, only the faint sound of footsteps on the ancient cobblestones. Suddenly, a burst of light flashed by, and a complex array of runes appeared before their eyes. Mowen Jie looked closely and found that the array seemed familiar. He closed his eyes and recalled the records in his master's ancient books. After a moment, he opened his eyes and said, "I think I know how to unlock it." The crowd's faces lit up with joy.
Mowen Jie, following the steps he remembered, mobilized the true Qi within his body and slowly infused it into the center of the array. As the true Qi was injected, the runes began to flicker, followed by a powerful surge of energy waves. When the light faded away, a massive stone door appeared ahead. The door was covered in strange and bizarre patterns that seemed to tell an ancient legend. Mowen Jie reached out to touch the stone door and felt a powerful restrictive force. Just then, a companion beside him produced a treasured artifact and said, "This is a special treasure for breaking through restrictions; it might be useful."
Mowen Jie took the artifact and used his spiritual power to strike towards the stone door's restriction. The stone door slowly opened, emitting a brilliant gold light, and it seemed that the key to their destination was within.
Mowen Jie stepped through the stone door first, and the beam of gold light instantly enveloped him. After adapting to the light, he saw a sphere suspended in the middle, emitting colorful lights, which must be the key object. Just as he approached the sphere, many puppet dolls surged from all around, holding sharp blades and charging at Mowen Jie and his companions. Mowen Jie roared loudly, unsheathing his spiritual sword, engaging in combat with the puppet dolls. His fellow adventurers also cast spells one after another, creating a whirlwind of magic. However, these puppet dolls seemed inexhaustible as they kept coming one after another. Mowen Jie realized that this couldn't continue for long. He was fending off attacks while also observing his surroundings to find that there were some strange recesses on the walls shaped like gems on the dolls' bodies.
Mowen Jie thought quickly, unleashing his full strength, and with a mighty thrust of his legs against the ground, he propelled himself backwards with a gust of force, driving back the surrounding puppet dolls. The dolls were knocked off balance by this unexpected impact. Seizing the moment, he charged towards the wall like an arrow from a bow, reaching out with both hands to rapidly feel along the wall. Soon, he pried off a protruding stone block.
Mowen Jie turned around and rushed towards one of the puppet dolls, precisely embedding the stone block into the recess on its body. In an instant, the puppet doll burst out a strange light, with runes flashing around it continuously. The light grew stronger, blinding people's eyes. As the light dimmed slightly, the puppet doll began to move slowly. Although its movements were no longer as stiff and mechanical as before, it seemed to have been imbued with some new form of will.
Mowen Jie staring intently at the puppet doll, his heart racing suddenly. He didn't know if this change was for good or ill. At that moment, the puppet doll slowly raised its head, and its empty eyes seemed to have gained some intelligence. It looked at Mowen Jie and even slightly bowed in respect. Then, the puppet doll turned to face its fellow companions who had yet to stand up, making a low humming sound. It seemed like they had received an instruction and stood up orderly, retreating to the corners.
Mowen Jie let out a deep sigh, realizing that his daring move had seemingly resolved the immediate danger for now. However, he was still filled with curiosity and suspicion about the secrets and unknowns behind the mysterious puppet doll. He remained vigilant, observing his surroundings and preparing for the next challenge.
Mowen Jie slowly approached the mysterious puppet doll, which remained still. At this moment, the multi-colored pearl flashed with strong light again, drawing everyone's attention. Just as Mowen Jie was about to reach out and touch the pearl, the puppet doll suddenly blocked his way in front of him.
Mowen Jie was startled, thinking that the puppet had changed its mind. However, he heard the puppet emit a sound that was hard to understand, and then the light on the pearl shone on it, revealing some ancient characters. It turned out that the pearl and the puppet were originally one entity created by an ancient immortal. The puppet was a guardian of the pearl, and it became crazy after it was damaged. Now, Mowen Jie unintentionally repaired the puppet, and it resumed its duties. However, if Mowen Jie wanted to take away the pearl, he had to pass through the puppet's test. The puppet raised its hand and changed the scene around them, appearing a virtual mountain with various restrictions and traps on it.
Mowen Jie took a deep breath, leading his companions to climb the virtual peak. They carefully handled every danger, with Mowen Jie using his intelligence and cultivation to overcome them one by one. Finally, they reached the top of the peak, where the puppet appeared and recognized Mowen Jie's abilities. It allowed him to take the pearl. Mowen Jie successfully obtained the pearl, and his group left the place with their gains.
After leaving the fantasy peak, Mowen Jie and his companions hurried back to their temporary lodging without stopping. Along the way, everyone was curious about the pearl. Upon returning to the temporary lodging, Mowen Jie immediately retreated to meditate and study the pearl. He discovered that it contained a unique kind of spiritual energy that seemed capable of enhancing a cultivator's insight.
However, the news of the pearl spread, attracting others' greed. One night, a group of black-clad people sneaked into Mowen Jie's residence to steal the pearl. Mowen Jie was prepared for this, and he used the defense array of the dwelling to temporarily detain the intruders while engaging them in combat. During the battle, Mowen Jie was accidentally injured, and the pearl also fell nearby. In a critical moment, his companions arrived in time and worked together to repel the black-clad people.
After this incident, Mowen Jie knew it was too dangerous to keep the pearl with him and that it could bring disaster to the sect. Therefore, he decided to take the pearl deep into the mountains, find a secluded place to seal it, and wait until he had sufficient power in his cultivation to investigate it later. Having made up his mind, Mowen Jie set out on his journey alone with his companions, their figures gradually disappearing into the vast night.
The night was as dark as ink, and Mowen Jie walked swiftly, carrying his bag and holding the pearl, quietly leaving the sect. The cold moonlight shone on his path, making the surroundings unusually quiet and eerie. Occasionally, a few cries of the screech owl echoed through the air, adding to the sinister atmosphere.
As he stepped into the deep mountains, the trees grew more densely and the bushes grew thorny. Mowen Jie had to struggle through the forests, with branches occasionally scraping his face. He cautiously observed his surroundings, always on high alert for potential dangers.
After walking for what seemed like an eternity, he stumbled upon a secluded valley. The air was misty, and faint streams could be heard trickling through. Mowen Jie's heart skipped a beat; he felt that this might be the perfect place.
He followed the winding path into the valley and stopped in front of a cave, its entrance hidden by vines. Mowen Jie stepped into the cave, carefully inspected it, and upon confirming that it was safe, found a hollow spot on the cave wall and gently placed the pearl inside.
Mowen Jie quietly gazed at the faint glow emanating from the pearl in his hand, like a small candle flame swaying in the darkness, yet carrying an indescribable mystery. The light reflected on his face, revealing the exhaustion and worry etched into his eyes.
He closed his eyes slowly, his lips parted slightly, and silently prayed. Every word seemed to carry all of his hopes and expectations. He hoped that this pearl, which had stirred up trouble since its birth, would finally settle into peace and cease to cause chaos and bloodshed in the world. The underhanded struggles surrounding the pearl had already claimed many lives, and he did not want to witness any more tragedies.
He particularly missed his consorts, whose voices, faces, and smiles came to mind one by one. They were the warmth and support in his life. At this moment, he only hoped they could escape the impending disaster through this act.
Having placed the pearl emitting mysterious light, Mowen Jie slowly turned around, his gaze directed towards the distant sky. At this time, the night was like ink, causing a strange sense of oppression and fear. It felt as if an endless darkness hid innumerable unknown dangers, which could suddenly leap towards him.
However, Mowen Jie's eyes showed no sign of retreat. Instead, they grew firmer with the passage of time. He was well aware that no matter how treacherous and filled with difficulties the road ahead might be, he had made up his mind to put forth every ounce of his strength to protect his companions along the path, cherishing the rare tranquility that had come after so much hardship and perseverance.
Even if the path ahead is lined with sharp thorns, every step he takes would be pierced and bleed, yet he would not waver for a moment. Because in his heart, protecting the ones he loves is the most important mission in his existence. As long as he can ensure their safety, he would not hesitate to pay any price.
Thus, Mowen Jie took a deep breath, straightened his back, and walked resolutely towards the seemingly dangerous night with a firm step. He would use his strong arms and fearless courage to provide a safe haven for his companions behind him, shielding them from the raging storms.
The night, like a massive curtain, pressed heavily on his head, and the silence around was eerie. The occasional cricket chirping sounded out of place in this silence, adding to the eerie feeling. The ground beneath his feet was uneven, and each step felt like walking on unknown mysteries, ready to trigger hidden dangers at any moment.
The moonlight struggled to squeeze through the cracks in the clouds, casting patchy and sinister shadows on the ground. Mowen Jie's shadow was stretched out long, like another invisible hand reaching out from the night. Yet, his gaze was firm, with not a trace of retreat. The cold wind swept by, ruffling his clothing corners, but it could not dispel the resolute look in his eyes.
As he walked on, a dense forest appeared in front of him. The branches were intertwined and stretched out like the jaws of monsters. Mowen Jie tightened his fists, although his heart raced, his steps remained steady. Upon entering the forest, the“snapping”sounds of the branches seemed to be whispers in the night. He cautiously observed his surroundings, not missing any subtle movements.
Suddenly, a night bird flew away from overhead, causing Mowen Jie to shiver slightly. He quickly composed himself and continued to move deeper into the darkness. He knew that only by traversing this dark expanse could he ever hope to find light. His mind was focused on the urgency of getting out, so that he could reunite with Qing Xiao and Huang Ling'er, Jiang Yu Ruo, Xiao Ya Wen, Ding Yan, Tuo Yan Yan, Qin Xiao Die, Cao Chun Ling, Ling Xue and Liu Chuandong together!
